+1 On Tue, Dec 4, 2012 at 12:39 AM, Rob Weir <robw...@apache.org> wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 1:37 PM, Donald Harbison <dpharbi...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 8:23 AM, Steve Lee <st...@opendirective.com> > wrote: > > > >> Steve Lee > >> OpenDirective - opendirective.com > >> On Nov 2, 2012 7:59 AM, "Andre Fischer" <awf....@gmail.com> wrote: > >> > > >> > On 01.11.2012 17:45, robert_w...@us.ibm.com wrote: > >> >> > >> >> A quick note, wearing my "IBM hat". > >> >> > >> >> We (IBM) have consulted with customers, internal users, other IBM > >> product > >> >> teams, on what our (IBM's) development priorities should be for the > next > >> >> AOO release. Obviously, we're not the only ones with priorities or > >> >> interests or opinions. We don't make AOO decisions by ourselves. > But > >> we > >> >> want to be transparent about what our own priorities are, for our > >> >> employees participating in the AOO community, and what they will be > >> >> focusing on. As we did with AOO 3.4.0 and 3.4.1, we'll be putting > the > >> >> details onto the wiki over the next couple of weeks. You'll hear > more > >> at > >> >> ApacheCon, but I wanted you to hear it hear first. > >> >> > >> >> Our top priorities: > >> >> > >> >> -- Improve the install and deployment experience, especially by > >> supporting > >> >> digital signatures on installs, and introducing a new incremental > update > >> >> feature, so users are not required to download and install a full > image > >> >> for just a minor update. > >> >> > >> >> -- A major UI enhancement, a sidebar framework for the editors, > ported > >> >> over from Symphony, and including an API. If you recall, Symphony > won > >> >> quite a lot of praise for its UI, and much of this was due to the > >> sidebar > >> >> panel. I think we can make a good argument that this approach, say > >> >> compared to the MS Office "ribbon" is a better use of screen > >> real-estate, > >> >> especially as we see more frequent use of wide screen displays. > >> >> > >> >> -- Improved Table of Contents in Writer > >> >> > >> >> -- Improved system integration on Windows and MacOS, including > possible > >> >> adoption of "gestures". > >> >> > >> >> -- IAccessible2 bridge, ported over from Symphony, to improve > >> >> accessibility. This is a major effort, but very important. > >> > > >> > > >> > I will be talking about IAccessible2 as stand in for Steve Yin at the > >> ApacheCon. > >> > Please meet me there at 11:45am on Nov 6 (Level 1 Left). > >> > >> Andre, sorry to mid your talk but I will check the slides. I have 2 > points > >> of information regarding the usefulness of the IAccessible2 work. > Neither > >> are new but I thought worth restating now to support it being a > priority.. > >> > >> 1: I just had a conversation with one of developers of NVDA, the popular > >> screen reader for blind access on Windows. He said right now the Windows > >> Accessibility story is "terrible" in OSS office solutions. To repeat a > >> previous observation, there is a real demand for this from the > >> Accessibility community. This need is also wider than the those using > >> assistive technology who have visual impairments. > >> > > > > Yes, I think we all violently agree that this gap needs to be addressed > > successfully in the AOO 4.x stream. I have consulted with our IBM > Software > > Distinguished Engineer for Accessibility on this. He has excellent > contact > > in university and at NVDA. I propose that we form an A11Y Working Group > > within our project here in order to give this dedicated focus. One of the > > challenges will be the need to finance some additional work. I doubt that > > we'll be able to close all our gaps with 100% volunteer effort. > > > > Do you support the concept of an A11Y WG? We can use the wiki that Steve > > Yin has already started as a base for our documents. Do you think it's > > overkill to request a mailing list dedicated to A11Y be set up? > > > > > > If we get more than one person doing accessibility then that might be > something to consider. But right now creating a new list would only > put this topic "out of sight, out of mind". So I would not favor it. > Our measure of importance on the topic should be how much we do, not > how much we talk about it. > > Let's reserve dedicated lists for real efforts, and continue to > socialize sub-critical-mass interests on the dev list. That is better > for recruitment. > > -Rob > > > >> > >> 2: I also spotted Hubert Duerr's talk on automated testing in the > ApacheCon > >> programme and thought it worth mentioning that Accessibility APIs > provides > >> a powerful way to automate testing of and via the user interface. At > least > >> 2 Linux desktop testing frameworks take this approach using AT/API > which is > >> similar to IA2. I'm sure appealing to the testing market was the reason > >> Microsoft named their updated Accessibility API "User Interface > Automation, > >> UIA" > >> > >> Steve Lee > >> Open Directive > >> > >> >> -- Closer integration of clipart and template libraries with user > >> >> experience. > >> >> > >> >> -- Update branding and visual styling, contemporary and compelling, > >> fresh > >> >> and relevant. > >> >> > >> >> -- Social integration, allow our users to quickly and easily share > their > >> >> thoughts in a way that compliment their commercial social behavior. > >> >> Explore the integration of consumer service-specific capabilities as > >> well > >> >> as generic Share... actions. > >> >> > >> >> -- And many other smaller items > >> >> > >> >> Obviously the release date for this cannot be pinned down so early, > and > >> >> releasing is PMC decision, not an IBM one. But we think that this > work > >> >> could be completed and tested for a release in the March/April 2013 > >> >> time-frame. And the scope of the release might be significant > enough to > >> >> warrant a "4.0" designation. > >> >> > >> >> In any case, we'll soon set up a page on the wiki to collect these > >> items. > >> >> As always, I invite you to add your own priorities to the wiki, > things > >> >> that you would like to work on. This could be a new feature. Or, if > >> one > >> >> of the above items sound interesting to you, we always welcome help > >> >> designing and implementing these features. > >> >> > >> >> Regards, > >> >> > >> >> -Rob > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> > > >> >
